2019 Winnipeg Jets Draft Picks

Winnipeg Jets Draft Notes

The Jets enter the 2019 NHL Draft with five selections in hand. This also marks the fourth draft since relocation that the Jets have less than the average of seven selections.

Of the 165 selections in franchise history, 64 have reached the NHL.

Of the 58 selections since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season, 21 have played in the NHL. Last season, 18 Jets/Thrashers picks featured for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, six of their selections played junior hockey, and three skated in the NCAA.

The Jets have selected a forward with their top pick in each of the last five years. This after drafting defencemen Jacob Trouba (2012) and Josh Morrissey (2013) with their highest selection in back-to-back years.

Of the 32 players that played for the Jets this season (2018-19), 18 players were drafted by the organization, including eight of the nine first round picks made by the franchise since relocating to Winnipeg in 2011 (Scheifele, Trouba, Morrissey, Ehlers, Connor, Roslovic, Laine, and Vesalainen).

The Jets’ 10 selections in 2013 is the most by the franchise since relocating to Winnipeg in 2011. The franchise record for most selections in a draft is 14 in 2000, while the franchise record for least selections is four in 2007.

Five of the seven goalies the Jets have drafted since 2011 remain in the organization – Connor Hellebuyck (2012), Comrie (2013), Mikhail Berdin (2016), Arvid Holm (2017), and Jared Moe (2018). Winnipegger Jason Kasdorf was drafted by the Jets in 2011 but traded to the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 11/15 and Jamie Phillips (2012) became a UFA after the 2017-18 campaign.

The 2016 draft marked the first time since 2011 the Jets didn’t select an American. Winnipeg selected a franchise-high four Americans in the 2015 draft and two American’s (Nathan Smith and Jared Moe) in last year’s draft (2018).

Sami Niku (2015) and Patrik Laine (2016) were the first two Finnish players the franchise chose since relocating to Winnipeg in 2011. Niclas Lucenius (2007) was the last Finnish player selected by the Thrashers. In 2017, the Jets selected two Finnish players – F Kristian Vesalainen (24th overall) and F Santeri Virtanen (105th overall).

The 2018 NHL Draft was the third straight draft that the Jets selected a Swedish-born player when they took David Gustafsson with the 60th overall pick. In 2017, Winnipeg picked goalie Arvid Holm (167th overall) and in 2016, it was defenceman Jacob Cederholm (97th overall).

Winnipeg’s first round picks between 2014-2016 came from four different countries – Nikolaj Ehlers (Denmark), Kyle Connor (USA), Jack Roslovic (USA), Patrik Laine (Finland) and Logan Stanley (Canada). The Jets only first round pick in the 2017 draft, F Kristian Vesalainen (24th overall), is from Finland.

Nelson Nogier (Saskatoon) was the only Canadian selected by the Jets in 2014. It’s the only time in franchise history that a lone Canadian was selected.

The Jets selected five defencemen in 2013, which is the most in franchise history.

This is the first time the NHL is holding the draft in a Pacific Division city since 2010 (Los Angeles). The Jets participated in their first draft in 2011 in St. Paul at the Xcel Energy Center, weeks after relocating from Atlanta.

The most players drafted in one year by the franchise to reach the NHL is seven, which happened in the team’s first draft back in 1999.

Transactions Involving 2019 Winnipeg Jets Draft Selections

Jun. 17, 2019 - Acquired D - Neal Pionk and a first-round selection, 20th overall, in the 2019 NHL Draft from the New York Rangers in exchange for D - Jacob Trouba.

June 22, 2002 – Acquired a 2002 third round pick (No. 82 – John Adams) and a 2003 fourth round pick (No. 116 – Guillaume Desbiens) from the Florida Panthers in exchange for not drafting Jay Bouwmeester with the second overall pick.